John Madachik didn't start Contract Transport Services, and his dad still is calling the shots at the 12-year-old company. But there's little argument over how much the business has grown since John went to work there full time in 2005.

Back then, the company had about 25 employees, compared to 67 today, said Bill Madachik, John's father and the company's founder.

“Last year, with John's help, we grew 30%,” said Bill Madachik, who takes no small amount of pride in either his son or the company, which provides transportation for people served by area assisted-living agencies, as well as for private customers.

John Madachik didn't intend to go into the family business at first. He entered college with a declared major in art, but switched to a business major about halfway through his undergraduate courses, before ultimately earning a business degree from Cleveland State University in 2005.

Not only has the company grown since then, but it has moved from the family's home in Seven Hills to a 16,000-square-foot building near downtown Cleveland on Perkins Avenue. That change happened after John Madachik did a comprehensive study of where the company's customers were located, as well as of the locations of area hospitals and other facilities that are often their destination points.

John is in charge of the company's personnel, compliance issues and finances, said his father, who admittedly has given his son much of the heavy lifting he'd rather not do himself.

That's seems to be fine with John, just as it's fine with him that his dad still calls himself the boss.

“He'd probably say he's the boss, but we kind of have different shifts,” the younger Mr. Madachik coyly joked. “The best thing, though, is working with someone I've known my whole life.”

Not that Bill Madachik, who turns 70 this summer, doesn't plan to hand over the reigns completely at some point.

“He's already taken over a sizable share of the duties — one man used to do everything,” Bill Madachik said. “I plan for John to one day run the company and become the full-time director.”

In the meantime, John is pursuing his MBA at Cleveland State to prepare for his larger role in managing the company.

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